


Always

by StakeTheHeart



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Jori Friendship, Jori Romance, Jori in all aspects
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 19,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24314029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StakeTheHeart/pseuds/StakeTheHeart
Summary: Just a collection of random drabbles. Jori pairing as well as friendship. Might include other pairings.
Relationships: Tori Vega/Jade West
Comments: 7
Kudos: 85





	1. Comfort

It was the middle of the night when Jade was awoken by the constant movement coming from the other side of the bed. She cracked open an eye reluctantly and let out a quiet sigh when the movement persisted. She knew what the fuss was all about but hoped that it would resolve itself so she closed her eye, got comfortable with a bit of movement of her own, and then settled down to relax. However, she didn't reach sleep. The shifting became tossing and turning. She growled low and resigned herself to staying up until the problem was resolved. She knew that at this point she would have to take matters into her own hands if she wanted it to stop. So she threw back the covers, slid out of bed, and stomped her way around to the other side. The young woman tossing and turning sensed the lack of body heat and then the presence looming over her. She opened her eyes to see Jade sleepily glaring at her, arms crossed.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me. You're keeping me up with all that squirming."

"I don't mean to. It's just…"

Jade rolled her eyes.

"You miss your stupid doll, right?"

"She isn't stupid! She helps me sleep. I've held her every night since I was little. I rarely sleep without her. I don't know how to sleep or where to put my arms when I don't have her so it's hard to sleep."

Jade let out a tired sigh, slender fingers rising to pinch at the bridge of her nose. There would be no sleep if Vega didn't get her dumb doll. But that wasn't possible. Earlier that day while they were hanging out, Trina somehow got beauty gunk all over the doll. It had to be thoroughly cleaned by hand and then thrown in the wash. Afterward, it had to be left out to dry as it wasn't dryer safe. That left it too damp to sleep with that night and made Jade regret agreeing to the sleepover Vega spent five minutes begging her to agree to. She knew it was the begging that eventually caused her to give in.

"There isn't any possible way to relax you enough to go to sleep? Because if you don't stop moving you're sleeping on the floor."

The youngest Vega frowned and sat up, crossing her arms tightly.

"This is my bed. How about you sleep on the floor?"

"Because I said so."

Vega harrumphed, likely appalled by Jade's gall, but didn't say anything more. Jade took advantage of the silence, her only hope of sleep suddenly coming to her.

"Just move over."

The demand as well as Jade suddenly breaching her personal space caused Vega to freeze instead of do as she was told so Jade assisted her. She threw off the covers, tucked her hands under the other girl, and lifted. Vega would have been impressed by the display of strength if she wasn't so unceremoniously dumped on the other side of the bed. Jade settled in her spot, pulled the covers over them, then reached over to grab at the other girl's wrist to tug her closer. Vega flinched, expecting the worse, but was surprised when all the surly girl did was wrap her arm around her middle when she laid down. Before she knew it, Jade was in her arms. It was a strange feeling, but not unwelcome.

"Ummm…"

"Shut up."

"I was just wondering why you didn't do this from the other side of the bed instead of man-handling me."

"You like to sleep on your right side."

Jade's simple response put a smile on Vega's face and warmth in her heart.

"Oh."

Silence fell for a moment. Plenty of time for Jade to start falling asleep now that everything was silent and motionless.

"Jade?"

"Ugh, what now?"

Ocean eyes opened once more, brows furrowing as Jade's grip on the tanned hand in her grasp tightened slightly. Unconsciously, Vega's hold on her tightened as well when her body went rigid with trepidation. She was never sure when Jade's retaliation would be physical or verbal. By the sound of the slight irritation in her tired tone, it could go one way or the other.

"Why are you doing this?"

It was a simple question, but the answer was not. Jade took a moment to think, resolving to respond just as simply.

"Because you won't stop fidgeting."

"Is that all?"

"You needed something to hold so that you could get comfortable. I supplied that. What does it matter how? Now shut up and go to sleep."

Any other person would be put off by Jade's snappy reply, but Vega was not. Instead, she smiled to herself and boldly pulled Jade against her, tucking her face between the older girl's shoulder blades. She could be imagining it, but she swore Jade relaxed just a bit before tensing.

"Don't get too comfortable. I swear, I'm not sleeping over if this happens again. I can't even move. You better be grateful."

Vega ignored her complaints. She knew Jade liked to sleep curled up and barely moved through the night so being restrained wouldn't be an issue. She didn't dare voice her thoughts though. She was finally at ease and ready to sleep. If she said anything inflammatory now, she might just end up on the floor. She wouldn't put it past Jade to shove her off on the spot and refuse to let her back on.

"I am. Good night."

A grumpy grumble was all the response she got. Jade laid in the silence, unable to sleep or ignore the young women pressed to her back. She never allowed the youngest Vega this close before. She never would have thought that it would be anything but terrible. And yet…she had never felt as relaxed as she did now.

"Good night."

Her eventual response was quiet, but Vega didn't miss it. She was dosing off but still waiting, hoping that Jade would answer, and she did. Jade hoped she was already asleep and hadn't heard. It was late into the night and both were content. There was no longer any restless shifting. There was no longer agitation. The atmosphere was tranquil, which was unheard of when it came to the two who were sharing space in a relatively large bed. Vega was the first to fall asleep. Jade heard her soft breathing and felt her even breaths. Only then did she feel that it was safe to slowly turn over and return the embrace. She tucked her head under Vega's chin, curling up close. As she started to drift off, she admitted to herself that she could see why Vega liked having something to hold while she slept. But god help her if this new development made her unable to sleep unless she was holding something, because she wouldn't be caught dead hugging some stupid toy in order to sleep.


	2. Sharing

Jade had just gotten comfortable in her seat at their usual table when Tori came over. The rest of the gang came trickling in behind her, stopping to get food. Jade only glanced up and smirked at the sight of the youngest Vega without food, again. She could almost hear the sad puppy dog whimpering from here. Just as she suspected, Tori sat down with a frown, whining.

"Let me guess, Trina took the rest of your money for some dumb reason that is only important to her and left you without a means to get lunch," she said, not looking away from taking a bite of her own food. She had been looking forward to the new pasta dish they had added to the menu. It was pretty good as far as school food went. Tori stared at the food, her stomach grumbling.

"Yeah," she sighed, her brown eyes fixing on Jade.

"Am I gonna see those puppy dog eyes if I look up?" Jade questioned.

"Uh huh," Tori answered. Jade let out a loud sigh but nodded. Without saying anything she started to divide her lunch. Tori brightened, a big smile on her face. Without wasting a moment she took off to grab a fork. She came back in record time and set to eating just as Jade pushed the food closer. The others showed up and sat down, each giving their own version of amused acknowledgement at the situation. It wasn't new to them.

"Again?" Andre asked. Jade nodded.

"You're so nice, Jade," Cat commented. Jade rolled her eyes.

"You gave her more," Beck observed. Tori paused long enough to notice that she did have more than Jade. She hesitated.

"Vega loves food. It would be a crime to let her starve," Jade promptly responded casually, taking a bite. With a shy smile Tori kept eating.

"How come you never gave me some of your food when I didn't have money for lunch? I was starving," Robbie complained. Jade shot him a look.

"Because I don't like you," she tersely replied.

"At least, not like she likes Tori," Cat pointed out, giggling when Jade scowled at her. Yet a light blush colored her cheeks.

"Shut up, Cat," she grumbled. She turned back to her food to see that Tori was a few bites away from finishing while she had been too distracted to eat. She quickly caught up, focusing on eating and not at the looks their friends were giving them. They spent the rest of lunch talking. As soon as the bell signaled the end of lunch Jade was quick to leave. Tori followed close behind. She made sure none of the gang was around before she slipped her hand in Jade's own, gaining a gentle squeeze in return.

"Thanks. I was starving," she mentioned. Jade glanced at her with a raised brow that dissolved into a soft smile.

"No problem. Love means you'll split food with someone and let them have the bigger half," she stated. It was Tori's turn to blush and her smile grew to a grin.


	3. Heaven

The ringing of the bell had echoed several minutes ago, and Jade was late to class. Why she was late might have been worth it, but her next class was ruled by a tyrannical teacher who she always butted heads with. She could only hope that he didn't force her to defend herself but she was pretty sure he would have some choice words for her. After all, how could she dismiss being five minutes late? Upset stomach? Girl related issues? Emotional breakdown? He would still want an answer. But Jade would say anything but what she had been up to with the youngest Vega in the janitor's closet. At the thought she smiled and fixed her hair. She reached her classroom and opened the door, her smile sliding off her face when she was met with a sea of curious eyes and a single scowl.  
"Jade, can you please tell the class why you're so late?" he demanded. And so, it began.  
"Someone told me to go to hell. I couldn't find it at first, but now I'm here," she answered, nonchalant as she strode in to take her seat. Snickers and gasps scattered across the room. Some students looked to the teacher while others stared in awe at Jade's audacity. Their teacher stood at the front of the class, slowly going red.  
"Principle's office, West," he growled.  
"What? You told me not to lie. Now that I'm being honest you're punishing me?" she questioned innocently. He only pointed at the door. Jade shrugged.  
"If you insist," she said, standing up and leaving. She chuckled under her breath once she was outside. She took her time wandering down the hall, heading for the principle's office. Another set of footsteps joined her not too long later. Jade was familiar with the quick pace.  
"You too?" she asked, not bothering to look.  
"My teacher didn't appreciate honesty," Tori mentioned. Jade quirked a brow, finally looking at her.  
"What did you tell her?" she asked, curious.  
"The hell bit," she replied. Jade couldn't help but laugh, loud and boisterous.  
"Me too!" she said through the laughter. It was infectious and soon Tori was laughing too. When they settled down Tori shook her head.  
"I'm spending way too much time with you. At this rate I'm going to start getting calls of misconduct to my parents," Tori pointed out. She didn't sound too upset by the possibility.  
"What's so bad about that?" Jade teased, bumping Tori who grinned.  
"Nothing at all," Tori answered. They reached the double doors to the office and stopped. Tori looked thoughtful.  
"Wanna ditch this and go back to the janitor's closet?" she offered. Jade was instantly interested and more than amused. Well, she wasn't at all against that.  
"Yep," she agreed, taking Tori by the hand and leading the way. She had to admit that sometimes Tori had some pretty good ideas.


	4. Lazy Days

Tori took in a breath and let it out slowly. She shifted on the two layers of blankets that cushioned her back from the hard surface of the truck bed. Jade's truck wasn't very big but the bed was the perfect size for her and Jade to stargaze, or more often than that, to go cloud watching. Tori opened her eyes to see the blue sky scattered with big fluffy clouds. It was a nice sunny day with a bit of a breeze. Said breeze gently tugged at her hair and brought with it a scent that never failed to make her heart sing. Jade laid next to Tori with her arms folded under her head. Tori glanced over at her, smiled, then looked back up at the sky. She never felt as peaceful as she was when she was sharing comforting silence with Jade by her side.  
"I'm surprised you aren't burning a hole in my head," Jade joked with only a slight tinge of disappointment. Tori chuckled.  
"Aw, sorry I'm not giving you all my attention," she teased in return. Jade let out a sigh and shook her head.  
"Whatever," she grumbled, closing her eyes. Tori took a moment to stare at Jade's flawless face, for Jade as much as for herself. Jade smirked, aware of the attention but not needing to say anything to address it. Tori looked to the sky again.  
"That cloud looks like a penguin," she said. Jade's eyes opened and searched for the shape.  
"It looks more like a bowling pin," she reasoned. Tori scoffed.  
"A bowling pin?" she repeated. Jade only nodded.  
"You're original, I'll give you that," she continued. Jade shrugged, pleased.  
"Ok, how about that one. What does it look like to you?" Tori pointed out, scooting closer so that she could better show Jade where it was from her point of view.  
"A chimera getting ready to pounce on a hapless victim," she responded seriously. Tori dropped her hand to rest on her stomach, brows furrowed.  
"How the hell did you go from bowling pin to that?" she inquired, bemused. Jade only laughed.  
"I really don't know," she answered truthfully. They fell silent for a moment, just enjoying the silence.  
"Hey, do you think clouds look down on people and think, 'That one's shaped like an idiot'," Jade commented. It was stated so bluntly that Tori could only laugh in response. Jade had a way with words that Tori admired. Whether she was being funny or mean Tori liked the way in which she described her point of view.  
"I'm serious!" Jade insisted, sitting up on her elbow to shoot Tori a look which was slightly offended.  
"I know you are. That's what I love about you," Tori said, giving Jade a tender smile, her laughter leaving the expression unguarded. Jade's irritation was obliterated in its wake. She laid back down, taking Tori's hand to hold between them. That's what she loved about Tori.


	5. Reasons

It wasn't unusual for Jade to be found spending most of her time at the Vega household. After all, it housed her favorite person. Not that she would let anyone know that. Especially her favorite person. It also wasn't unusual for their time together to be interrupted by the annoying older Vega. Trina was responsible for her own unfortunate fate when it came to offending Jade. She never failed to give Jade a reason to retaliate. Tori was always left to decide whether it was called for or not. She had to admit that Trina deserved it more times than not. That afternoon Tori had invited Jade to hang out. They sat close on the couch, eyes on the new show involving challenges and hilarious punishments should contestants fail. Well, hilarious for Jade. Pain wasn't something to laugh at in Tori's opinion. Jade laughed again and Tori snuck a glance at her, smiling.  
"Will you be quiet? I'm trying to practice my singing and your cackling is drowning out my soft tones," Trina complained, coming down the stairs halfway to shout across the room at them. Immediately, Jade's mirth withered away to be replaced with her default scowl. Tori silently mourned the loss, agitated with her sister.  
"Tori, how can you deal with her? I mean, who laughs at people's misfortune like that?" Trina continued, gesturing to the TV while rounding on her sister.  
"She finds it funny. I find her laugh adorable. Win-win," Tori answered easily with a shrug, turning around to look at Trina. Jade was caught off guard by the comment for a second before pretending like it didn't affect her. Yet the slight blush said otherwise. She grumbled something under her breath that sounded like 'I'm not adorable' but Tori couldn't be sure.  
"That can't be the only reason you spend time with her," Trina denied.  
"You're right. It's not," Tori agreed, not elaborating. Both Trina and Jade looked at her, waiting for clarification. Each for different reasons. Tori had gone back to watching the show but became aware of their stares and sighed.  
"To put it simply, crazy girlfriends are the best. She might love me, she might stab me in my sleep. It's an exciting relationship," Tori stated evenly. Trina's jaw dropped, incredulous, while Jade laughed both at Tori's answer and Trina's reaction.  
"I knew there was a reason I took interest in you," she muttered, draping an arm over Tori's shoulders to pull her closer. Tori gave her a smirk that could rival hers and she had to reward her in response with a short but heated kiss. When she pulled away Tori was effectively dazed.  
"Oh, and that too. How could I forget?" Tori remarked. When they came together for another kiss Jade initiated Trina rolled her eyes and shook her head, having finally snapped out of it.  
"I will never understand them," she mumbled to herself, taking the stairs back up to her room and leaving them to it. She would just have to play her music louder and sing over them.


	6. Friendship

Tori was having a bad day and she just couldn't shake it. First, Trina thought it was acceptable to restrict access to the bathroom all morning, so she wasn't able to properly get ready for school. That resulted in looking like she just crawled out of bed. Then she had the gall to comment on how bad she looked. When they got to school some kid wasn't looking and crashed into Tori who fell and took a spilled coffee to the crotch of her pants. Adding insult to the injury that was her tailbone connecting with the hard floor. The bell rang at that moment, signaling that she was late for class. Which was probably why the kid responsible for her fall was in such a hurry. Also why he rushed off without an apology or offering to help. Or maybe that was due to Jade coming down the hall. She spotted Tori sulking on the ground and made her way over, a hint of concern warming her usually hard gaze. Without a word she held out a hand. Tori grabbed it and Jade lifted her off the ground.  
"Morning Vega. Having a rough start?" she asked.  
"What does it look like?" Tori sneered uncharacteristically. Jade only raised a brow, unaffected.  
"You know, when I agreed to be your friend, I never knew you could become this interesting," she remarked. Tori's agitation was put on hold, curiosity claiming the spot.  
"What?" she inquired. Jade merely shrugged.  
"I always thought you would be perpetually happy, always nice, and see the positive in everything. In short, boring. But it looks like I was wrong," she explained.  
"You think my anger is interesting?" Tori clarified.  
"It's a different side of you I don't see often," Jade explained. Tori was quiet a moment then huffed out a breath of frustration.  
"Now look what you did. I'm more confused then angry," she harrumphed, crossing her arms petulantly. The corner of Jade's lips curved slightly.  
"Hey, it could be worse. If you think you're having a bad day, just remember there are people that have their ex's name tattooed on their body," Jade mentioned, matter-of-fact. Tori paused once more, unsure how to feel at that point.  
"Has anyone told you that you're interesting?" Tori asked instead of trying to untangle how she felt. Jade only shook her head.  
"Well, they should," Tori said with a small sigh, brushing herself off figuratively as well as physically. Jade's small smile grew an inch.  
"Yeah, I know," she said knowingly. Tori couldn't decide whether to categorize that as confident or cocky.  
"Let's get to class, Vega. You wouldn't want to add to those tardies and make your bad day worse with detention," Jade said, tugging at her sleeve.  
"Most of my tardies were because of you," Tori mentioned.  
"Nonsense," Jade dismissed, yet her smirk was sly. And just like that, Tori forgot about her terrible morning in the midst of their latest banter competition. She didn't know if the distraction was something Jade planned or not, but she was grateful for it regardless.


	7. Distraction

Jade grit her teeth, trying not to lash out at the idiocy happening several feet to her right. Meredith was spouting some unintellectual and terribly spoiled drivel about how upset she was at her birthday party yesterday. The girl was a young adult, and yet all she could care about was whether she got the right color car instead of being happy she got a car at all. Not to mention how unhappy she was that the cake's decoration wasn't exactly how she wanted it down to the fifty-four flowers and cursive lettering that was too slanted. Jade refused to let herself hear the comments concerning her other gifts. Her fists clenched and she focused on the flex of muscle and bone under smooth skin resting on the table. Someone sat down to her left. Had she not been so familiar with the perfume she wouldn't have known who it was. She was still focused on her hands, trying not to get up and shut the girl up.

"Is she serious?" Tori said, looking past Jade at Meredith and her followers hanging on every word. She wondered if the looks of concern on their faces were genuine or not.

"It seems so," Jade growled. Tori shook her head, unimpressed, and reached out to start massaging Jade's hands open. She often took to this task when she knew Jade was minutes from loosing her cool. Jade let her, knowing she would succeed in calming her. Tori's soothing touch and surprisingly strong hands rarely ever failed.

"She can't just be grateful for what she has," Tori said.

"We lived pretty well off when I was growing up. But I didn't get everything I wanted. My parents might not be the best but I'm glad they were careful not to give in to my demands. I always had to work for something I wanted. It taught me to be grateful," Jade recalled.

"As it should be," Tori agreed absently with a nod. Most of her attention was on Jade's hands. Silently, she marveled at the strength hidden in the pale grip. Her skin was smooth, nails neatly trimmed, yet black polish chipped. It was a small sign of Jade's irritability taking it's toll. She often sat picking at her nails when she was upset. Most believed it was her acting blasé, but it was the complete opposite. No one but Tori had caught on to the habit.

"Just ignore her. After the argument your parents had this morning you shouldn't let something like that upset you," Tori advised, regarding Meredith and her group once more before looking at Jade. Her hands had stilled, pulling Jade's attention from the source of her irritability to Tori.

"I dream of a world where it's legal and socially acceptable to slap dumb people," she commented. Tori's brows rose, mulling over what she said before nodding and going back to massaging Jade's hands, letting them go a moment later.

"Hey, did I say you could stop?" Jade addressed her.

"No, but what do I get out of it?" Tori replied, holding back an amused smile.

"You like helping people," Jade said.

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe you should work for it," Tori hinted. Jade's eyes narrowed. Right when Tori thought she would be verbally assaulted Jade sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Please," she murmured, almost too quiet for Tori to hear. Tori accepted that as worthy payment and took up Jade's hands again.


	8. Bothered

Tori followed close on Jade's heels. She wasn't going to let her get away with her latest tantrum. Not this time. Jade reached her car and unlocked it, but when she went to open the door Tori moved around her to push it closed.

"What the heck, Vega?" Jade snapped.

"Look, I know Robbie can get annoying, especially when Rex is involved, but that doesn't mean you should throw him into oncoming traffic. For one, it's a dangerous road hazard, and for another, Robbie loves Rex. You could have seriously damaged him and then where would Robbie be?" Tori scolded.

"Without that puppet, like a normal human being. Besides, who are you to lecture me about him? If I recall, it was you who almost chopped him into a million pieces in a giant fan," Jade reminded her. Tori was temporarily caught off guard but held her ground.

"This isn't about me, Jade," she pressed.

"Well it sure as hell shouldn't be about me. He deserved what he got," Jade insisted, turning away to open the car door again. But Tori intercepted her once more, cramming herself between Jade and the car. She fidgeted when she realized just how close she was to Jade at that point. She was practically pressed against her, Jade's livid ocean eyes locked on her. She took a breath to steady herself.

"Jade, what's wrong?" she asked, carefully resting a hand on her arm. Jade tensed.

"Nothing," she spat, eyes averted now. Tori's grip tightened.

"Look, sometimes I just get annoyed with people randomly…like, I don't even have a real reason, but their presence just bothers me," Jade muttered. Tori stared at her a long moment, Jade finally looking at her.

"Really?" Tori inquired, not at all convinced. Tori knew that Jade was always prickly around Rex, but this felt different. They exchanged a long stare, Tori trying to understand and Jade trying to repel her. Finally, Jade backed down, pushing Tori's hand away and taking a step back.

"Ok fine, I'll tell you," she said, trying at mad but sounding defeated. Tori waited patiently. Jade pushed back her hair and scuffed her boots against the asphalt.

"I didn't like the way Rex was talking to you," she whispered, focusing on rolling loose gravel under the tip of boot. Tori took a second to process what she said. Eventually, she shrugged.

"He talks like that to all the girls. I don't take it personally," she replied.

"Yeah, well, I do," Jade snapped, surprising Tori. Jade met her gaze, her own suddenly fierce.

"I don't like him talking to you like that. You don't deserve it. Especially not from that creep," Jade continued. Tori was well-aware how protective Jade sounded but wondered why.

"And what do I deserve?" she asked quietly. Jade's expression softened, but instead of saying anything she only flashed a calm smile and held out her hand.

"Let me get you a coffee," she offered in lieu of a real answer. Tori studied her a moment, wondering what she was trying to get at, but with her suddenly so calm and posture casual she didn't have any reason to say no.

"Will I get an answer if I say yes?" she asked. Jade smirked.

"Maybe," she answered. Tori smiled and rested her hand in Jade's.

"Lead the way," she accepted. Jade's fingers closed on hers and all Tori could think of was how nice it felt to hold her hand.


	9. Hers

Jade strode down the hall, each step exuding confidence. The small smirk on her lips might not look like much, but anyone who really knew her knew that it meant she was content. She made her way towards her locker to exchange a folder then turned to look down the hall at Tori's locker. What she saw caused her to slam her locker shut with a loud bang. The sudden sound caused some student nearby to startle, other scurrying away at the obvious signs of Jade's wrath surfacing. Because her eyes were focused with deadly precision on the boy who was leaning dangerously close to Tori. His hand pressed to her locker behind her, directly above her shoulder. He leaned at an angle, looking down on her, practically draped on her. Tori looked uncomfortable and leaned as far away as she could manage in her predicament. Jade clenched her jaw, fingers tightening into fists, and then she was marching down the hall. Tori heard her heavy boots approaching and felt immediate relief. She was saved. And this guy was so going to get it.

"Ah, come on. I haven't seen you at a party. Mine will be fun. I promise," he said, lifting a hand to brush a lock of hair back. Tori flinched and looked own, fiddling with the coffee cup in her hands. Jade stopped next to them, loudly clearing her throat. The guy barely spared her his attention.

"Excuse me," she bit out. He gave her a questioning look. Tori's interest was piqued. Jade never did things nicely. And by the looks of her rigid posture and tight jaw muscles she was moments away from unleashing fury. Tori wondered why she was bothering with courtesy.

"What?" the guys asked, truly clueless why she was there.

"Please don't flirt with what's mine. Because then I'll have to kill you and make it look like an accident. I really don't have energy for that today," Jade stated, voice even. The guy looked even more confused. Jade didn't waste any more time.

"Are you stupid? Get away from my girlfriend!" she hissed, taking a threatening step forward. He jumped away as if he was burned and stumbled back several steps, eyes wide.

"She's-you-I didn't-" he stammered, looking from Tori to Jade and back again.

"Yeah, well now you know. Get lost," Jade told him, taking another step. He was quick to make himself scarce. Jade forced out a sigh and looked at Tori who silently offered the coffee she held with a smile. Jade returned it, her own smile as warm as the drink between them.

"My hero," Tori praised her. Jade waved a dismissive hand then stepped closer to press a kiss to Tori's temple when she took the coffee. She took a sip and basked in the caffeine, but then Tori's hands were on her jaw, coaxing her in for a sweet kiss. They separated but remained close a few seconds more. Jade pulled away first, taking another sip of the coffee.

"You wouldn't have really hurt him, would you?" Tori wondered curiously.

"Anything for you," Jade answered cryptically, yet the crooked grin told her she was only teasing. Tori shook her head and took Jade by the hand, leading her to their first class of the day.


	10. Protector

Jade dusted her hands of yet another bully properly taken care of. She turned to look at Tori who had been the victim of the bullying. The three stuck up girls had been teasing her about her naivety, meek personality, and conservative style of clothes, and though Jade had to agree with them, it wasn't their place to tease her. It was Jade's. And she guarded that claim. Which was why they had ran off so quick. She made that fact very apparent to them, only flashing her scissors as an extra threat.

"You okay, Vega?" she checked, crossing her arms to appear unruffled.

"Yeah. I just wish they would leave me alone," Tori replied, rubbing at her arm in an effort to console herself.

"Just do what I do," Jade suggested.

"What's that?" Tori wondered.

"Wake up every morning and tell yourself you're a badass bitch from hell and that no one can fuck with you and then don't let anyone fuck with you," Jade answered with the utmost confidence. Tori stared at her, trying to feel that confidence within herself.

"Maybe lose the glasses too," Jade added, gesturing at them. And just like that Tori lost the small spark of confidence she had gathered, a hand coming up to push at the frames sitting on her nose.

"I'm just joking, Vega. They're actually pretty cute on you," Jade assured. Tori smiled shyly.

"I don't think I could see myself that way. How did you start?" she inquired. Jade shrugged.

"You have to start somewhere. I just held to it until I knew it was true," Jade said. Tori nodded and decided to try.

"Okay, so what should I do if they go after me again and you aren't there?" she asked.

"Repeat that mantra and tell them off. They can only bully you if you let them. So, what would you say to them if they started picking on you again?" Jade answered. Tori adopted an attempt at a serious expression, one that she hoped looked tough.

"Hey! At least I'm not…stupid like you!" she stammered. Jade chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"Great," she congratulated. Tori was positively radiant with joy.

"Really?" she inquired.

"Sure. You know, maybe I should give you my number. Just in case you need back up," Jade advised. She held out her hand and Tori passed over her phone. When Jade was finished, she handed it back and Tori stared at the numbers on the screen. A link to her personal protector just a message or phone call away.

"I don't think you'll need my help. You got this," Jade told her, striding away. Tori watched her go, clenching her phone like a lifeline. It turned out that Jade was right. Tori didn't need Jade to come to her rescue. The bullies left her alone with nothing more than her best threatening scowl, taken from Jade herself. She didn't have to know that the tormentors actually stayed away because Jade made it clear to them that she was just a call away, ready to make their life hell at Tori's command. It gave Tori confidence whether she knew that piece of information or not and that was all that mattered.


	11. Respect

Tori approached Jade sitting as casually as possible on the steps of the main hall, ignoring everyone and anyone who gave her dirty looks for blocking a good deal of stairs. But she didn't move, and she didn't care for their anger toward her. She was busy listening to the music blasting in her ears loud enough for Tori to hear once she got close enough. She wondered how Jade could stand it that loud. She stared at Jade with her eyes closed, leaning back, a content small smile on her lips.

"Hey, Jade," she said, getting no reply.

"Jade! Hey! Jade!" she yelled, waving at Jade and hopping around in hopes of getting her attention without having to come in contact with her. Jade was known to swing first and ask questions later if she was 'startled'. And she purposely used that word too. Because she didn't get scared, Tori recalled. Tori sighed heavily and plopped down next to her, close enough that Jade would take notice. Whether she did or not was not apparent. She remained unmoving. Tori decided that she would just take the risk.

"Jade," she sing-songed, slowly reaching out and tapping Jade's shoulder. For a split second, Tori thought she was going to get her hand smacked away. She was already flinching when Jade merely opened her eyes and let out a long-suffering sound of exasperation.

"Paradise lasted a mere three songs. A new record at least," she grumbled, pushing aside the left headphone speaker and turning to see who disturbed her this time.

"Vega," she greeted in a monotone.

"I just wanted to ask you about that assignment-" Tori began, only for Jade to cut across her.

"Haven't I already told you not to talk to me when I have headphones on?" she said pointedly. Tori nodded.

"I know, but you always have them on," she replied.

"Well look who's catching on," Jade remarked, moving to put them back in place. Tori stopped her hand, Jade freezing at the contact. Tori quickly let go, blushing.

"Please. I just wanted to go over the assignment with you. Sikowitz will probably like our idea anyway, but I want make sure. I also added a few things," Tori explained. Jade looked like she would tell her off, and Tori expected it, but in the end she only sighed. She pushed off the headphones entirely and held out her hand.

"What did you add?" she asked. Tori quickly threw off her big bag and dug through it, flustered from the unexpected acceptance so that it took her a while to find what she was looking for. When she finally found it Jade snatched it from her and scanned it.

"It's fine. You added, like, small changes. What made you freak out and need to consult me?" she wondered. Tori took back the paper and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I value your opinion," she said simply. Jade's brows rose, touched. She fought so long to make her views known that it felt good to hear that her views were appreciated.

"Thanks. I, uh, trust your opinion too, you know. If there was something you wanted to add I know it would be good," Jade told her. The words settled between them, both unable to say anything more. But then Tori 'awed' and Jade groaned, knowing what would come. She couldn't escape the impending hug nor could she fight it, so she returned it. She might as well enjoy it.


	12. Caught

Tori was running late. Jade would be there to pick her up soon and she wasn't quite ready. She didn't want to make Jade wait. She wasn't a very patient person. Tori rushed out of her room to look for her shoes and almost took a tumble down the stairs.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed, having caught herself but sustaining a stubbed toe and banged knee.

"Victoria Marie Vega! What did you just say?" her mother yelled from the kitchen. Tori hastily got to her feet, foregoing nursing her injuries to face her mother's wrath.

"N-nothing mom," she stammered, carefully navigating down the rest of the stairs.

"Shit, that was close," she grumbled under her breath, passing the couch in her search.

"Tori," her father warned, sitting up where he was laying watching TV. Tori hadn't seen him there and jumped a foot when he appeared.

"What has gotten into you, young lady?" her mother inquired. But before she could make up a lie, Trina cut in, turning in her seat at the table.

"She's been hanging out with that Jade chick," she supplied. Their mother looked from her eldest to her youngest, hands on her hips.

"I thought you two didn't get along?" she wondered. Tori stood frozen in place then ran a nervous hand through her hair.

"We, uh, we've come to an agreement. We're starting to get along now," she explained. Both parents stared at her a moment longer while Trina narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"Yeah, right. She probably dared you to cuss around our parents thinking you aren't cool enough, or something like that," she accused.

"No, she didn't!" Tori defended, letting out a loud sigh.

"Look, I have to get going. I'm late," she rushed out, finally spotting her shoes on the other side of the second couch and running over to put them on.

"Where are you going?" her father asked.

"Movies," she answered.

"With who?" he asked next. Tori hesitated only briefly.

"Jade," she mumbled. Everyone in the room fell silent for various reasons.

"Uh, all right. Have fun, I guess. Don't stay out late," he eventually said.

"Thanks, bye!" Tori replied, running out the door. She let out a relieved breath as soon as the door was closed behind her. Jade was just pulling up when she was walking down the walkway. She got in and buckled up, her usual greeting stuck due to sudden nerves. Jade silently studied her.

"You look guilty," she observed.

"What? Me? How so?" Tori responded, words flying out without her control.

"You're tense and leaning away from me," Jade pointed out.

"No, I'm not," Tori denied, forcing herself to try and relax. Jade only had to stare her down before she cracked.

"Ok, fine. My parents heard me curse and questioned me, Trina told them I got it from you, I had to admit to hanging out with you, and now you're probably going to be wazzed at me," she rambled. Jade listened with slowly increasing amusement. She chuckled then reached out to fix a lock of Tori's frazzled hair.

"Relax, Vega. You didn't tell them about us, right?" she questioned.

"No. You said you weren't ready. Even my big mouth wouldn't betray that," Tori replied. Jade smiled.

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Jade stated simply. Tori grinned, catching Jade's hand before it could return to the wheel.

"Now, about the movie. Are you sure you won't reconsider watching a horror movie instead of that lame romantic one?" Jade asked, hopeful. She looked so cute with the current pleading expression that Tori was sure she would give in if she was exposed to it any longer.

"Let me think on it during the drive over," she relented. Jade smirked, knowing she already won despite Tori's reluctance, and started driving.


	13. Swearing

Tori and Jade were just as likely to get along as they were to be in a heated verbal battle. This time they had a good run of getting along. A whole month, in fact. But it couldn't last long, and now the fuse was alight once again.

"Kiss my ass, Jade!" Tori shouted, slamming open the school's double doors, barely able to hold in her rage long enough to clear the area before she started swearing. She had always been careful not to prod the new principle, but today she didn't have the patience. Jade caught the door from swinging shut on her and stomped out to grab Tori's wrist when she caught up to her in the parking lot.

"Sure! Why don't I just bow to whatever you say just because we're friends now! Go ahead, turn around and bend over! I'll totally kiss your ass! That's what friends are for!"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"If you're going to point that out then don't forget that if I'm an ass, you're a kiss ass. And I'd rather be an ass then someone who feels the need to suck up to someone just so that I'm liked."

Tori let out a frustrated growl, fists clenching. She was furious.

"I'm not a kiss ass, I'm just being nice. Us getting along is just freaking you out and you can't admit it so you're being an ass. Don't be even more of an ass by trying to cover it up."

Jade's brows shot up at Tori's tone, the use of so many swears, and the defensive stance against Jade's offensive one. Never had she stood up to Jade like she was now, and Jade could do nothing but admire her even more for it. She took a step back and sighed, posture relaxing.

"Fine. You're right. I'm an ass…Does that mean I get a kiss?" Jade muttered, giving her a defeated look that paused Tori in her tracks. She was stuck between disbelief in what those words meant and the fact that she actually said them. It was like all the frustration and anger swept out of Tori to be replaced with confusion and something else.

"What are… I mean, you…huh?" she stammered, at a loss for words. Jade forced a pained smile, taking a small step forward. She carefully reached out a hand but dropped it at the last minute. She was never good with comforting words, so she continued with half-hearted levity. It was the softer side of sarcasm after all.

"You're the kiss ass and I'm the ass. Does that mean I get a kiss?" she explained slowly so that Tori could better understand, but she still stood there, stunned. She couldn't even find the words to tell Jade that she understood what she meant the first time and that was why she couldn't respond. Jade watched her a while longer then smiled softly, reaching out to pull Tori closer, gentle.

"Or maybe we should trade?" she whispered, leaning in. Tori thawed under her warm touch and practically melted when Jade closed the distance between them. It was chaste and careful and over too soon, but Jade wasn't going to push her luck. She pulled away and studied Tori's conflicted gaze.

"You're not much of a kiss ass," Tori remarked quietly. Jade chuckled, hopeful.

"And you're a terrible ass," Jade countered.

"Then we'll stick to what we're good at. You can be the ass, but you'll be my ass," Tori suggested, averting her eyes when Jade's attempted to lock with hers. It was a long moment before she got a reply.

"I'd like that."

Tori looked up to see a familiar smirk on Jade's lips just before they met her own.


	14. Cheer Up

It had been a long day and it didn't seem to be over. Jade grit her teeth but remained focused on driving, trying in vain to shut out Tori's rambling. Usually, she found it endearing and was really fond of her many off topic tangents when she was supposed to get to the point, but not today. They had just spent several hours with Cat and her new boyfriend on a double date. Jade didn't think there was a person more air headed than Cat, but she was wrong. There was. So now that they were on their way home from a mentally tiring day, it wasn't helping matters that Tori had taken over the role of chatterbox. Currently, she was spewing out facts Jade couldn't care less about.

"Did you know Pluto is smaller than Russia?"

"Really? Well no wonder it's no longer considered a planet," Jade commented grudgingly. To make matters worse, Jade had to force herself to respond in some way or she knew she would risk upsetting Tori. She hated upsetting her more than she hated being upset herself.

"Did you know that it's possible to die of a broken heart? It's called Stress Cardiomyopathy."

"Interesting," Jade grumbled, glancing away from a bright headlight, only barely holding back from swearing at the idiot driver.

"Did you know some ravens can imitate human speech and can also mimic other animal sounds to find food?"

"And yet I've never heard a single one do that," Jade said, glancing at Tori with a skeptically raised brow. Tori only continued, unphased, or perhaps, too used to Jade's bitter quips which were often used in an attempt to discourage her.

"Did you know the first 3D movie came before the first movie with sound?"

"It did not," Jade denied, this time with interest and disbelief. Tori smiled, happy to finally get a reaction other than disinterest. She had been trying to lift Jade's spirits ever since they started on their way home. When Jade realized she had responded she narrowed her eyes at the road ahead and frowned.

"Did you know that scientists can't agree on what boredom is or how to cure it?"

"Pity. Maybe then I could shut you up," Jade retorted.

"I'm not bored," Tori corrected.

"Whatever," Jade grumbled.

"Did you know cuteness inspires aggression which is why we want to squeeze things we find cute."

"That explains Cat's hamsters," Jade remarked. Confusion creased Tori's brows.

"Cat doesn't have…oh," Tori began, falling silent when she realized what Jade meant. Her horrified expression coaxed a chuckle from Jade. In an instant, Tori was grinning again, and Jade was scowling because of it. Both were aware that Tori's plan was beginning to work but Jade stubbornly held on to her agitation.

"Did you know humor is associated with honesty and intelligence? That's why women tend to be attracted to people with a sense of humor."

"Oh, so you think I'm funny?" Jade pointed out.

"I don't know if I'd call your humor funny," Tori reasoned.

"What? I'm honest-" Jade began.

"Painfully so," Tori interrupted with a nod.

"-and intelligent," Jade finished, only rolling her eyes at Tori's comment.

"So then you think I'm funny too."

Jade barked out a laugh.

"Sure, you're honest, but intelligent…" she said, purposely leaving the sentence hanging. As expected, Tori took offense.

"Hey!"

Jade laughed. Now she was entertained. Tori took a moment to calm herself, but it wasn't hard to let her smile flourish when she saw how happy Jade looked. Mission accomplished.


	15. Tease

It was very rare but every once in a while, Jade would be in such a good mood that it almost blew Tori's mind every time it happened. It wasn't like she was perpetually angry or upset, but a very happy Jade wasn't something that happened often. Jade was usually reserved and at most smiled at something. A smirk or a scowl was more at home on her face than anything else. But right now, it was one of those rare moments. Here, cuddled together in bed after a great few hours. Which was probably why Jade was in such a great mood. They both dozed on and off, but now they were both awake. Tori smiled and strengthened her hold on Jade who grumbled and tried to free herself.

"Vega, I'm hungry. Go make something."

"Hi hungry. I'm Tori."

Jade tensed and Tori knew she was frowning but it didn't detract from her grin.

"Vega, I'm serious," Jade continued, pushing Tori away completely.

"I thought you were hungry?" Tori questioned, playing at confused.

"Are you kidding me?" Jade snapped, sitting up to turn and look down at Tori. She had to admit, it was hard to take her seriously with her mused hair, sleepy but well-rested expression mixed with a small frown, and the blankets starting to slide down her torso. Tori might as well add distracted to the range of emotions. And yet…

"Nope. I'm Tori," she managed to answer. She couldn't resist. Jade's slender brows furrowed.

"Okay, you asked for it," she threatened, pouncing on Tori. She laughed and struggled to get free but Jade was always the stronger of the two. It wasn't long before she was gasping on laughter, Jade's fingers finding all of her sensitive tickle spots with ease.

"Are you gonna say something lame again? Or have you learned your lesson?"

Tori continued to laugh uncontrollably, seeing as Jade hadn't let up, but she forced out a submission through the giggles. Jade stopped and plopped on her back.

"Good. Now, go make something."

"Why?"

"Because I'm hungry."

As soon as Jade realized what Tori had goaded her to say, she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth before she could start up again. The girl never learned.

"Don't you dare," she warned.

"What?" Tori mumbled, words muffled by Jade's hand.

"Don't act all innocent, because you're not."

"You're right. I'm not innocent. I'm Tori." She replied, barely keeping her laughter in check when Jade shot a glare her way. She loved pushing Jade's buttons when she was in a good mood. Strangely, if done just right, it usually led to a good outcome.

"Dammit, Tori," Jade growled low, her hand pulling away to be replaced with a rough kiss. Tori had no problem challenging her, pushing her, and it did nothing but piss her off and turn her on at the same time. Because it took guts to rile Jade, but Tori was a master at turning it into desire. Jade still had no clue how she did it. They broke apart, panting but not moving away.

"Are you frustrated?" Tori inquired, running a finger along Jade's jaw. She smirked and held Tori's hand in her own before entwining their fingers.

"No. I'm hungry," Jade answered, eyes dark with want. Tori shivered, matching Jade's smirk. Food would have to wait.


	16. Savior

It was the middle of the day, but Jade was enjoying a well-needed nap. It wasn't meant to last because she was soon taken away from a good dream. She groaned and rubbed at her eyes.

"What?"

"Jade, wake up," Tori's scared voice commanded. Jade was quick to sit up from where she was resting on Tori's lap at the sound of it. She had fallen asleep watching some stupid realty show Tori liked but now she was wide awake.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Tori shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting around the room. Slowly, she pulled up her feet so that she could hug her legs to her chest.

"I just saw the biggest spider ever."

Jade's concern went from a hundred to zero in a second. She stared at Tori with crossed arms, ready to scold her for making her worry.

"I'm serious! It was, like, the size of a ping-pong ball!" Tori insisted. Jade sighed, knowing Tori's fear of the eight-legged creatures often caused her to exaggerate.

"Where is it?" she asked. Tori pointed.

"The last time I saw it was over there by the shelf."

Jade let out another sigh and took a moment to stretch before getting up. She looked around the area Tori directed her to, but she couldn't find it.

"Tori, there's no spider here."

"Yes, there is! I saw it!"

"Well, it's gone now."

"It can't be. It's too big to be allowed to live."

Jade rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Tori, there's no need to be worried. It's smaller than you."

"Yeah, so is a grenade," Tori scoffed.

"Don't be dramatic. A spider is not equal to a grenade," Jade dismissed.

"Not to you!" Tori retorted. Jade opened her mouth to argue when Tori shrieked.

"There it is!" she yelled, pointing. Jade quickly locked on to it scuttling across the floor. She quickly grabbed the empty cup sitting on the coffee table and used it to catch the intruder.

"Did you get it?"

"I think so."

Jade was out of view on the other side of the couch, but Tori refused to get any closer to check. Suddenly, Jade chuckled.

"What?" Tori asked, bewildered.

"You know what would be funny? If I thought I caught it but missed and it's still on the loose."

"Jade, don't say that. The only thing scarier than catching a spider is losing it," Tori whined.

"There's only one way to find out. Get me a piece of paper or something flat," Jade requested. Tori hopped off the couch and grabbed a random paper off the table, hurrying back to Jade. She took it and slipped it carefully under the cup. She then stood and headed for the door. Tori opened it for her. She stood close enough to watch but was still safely out of range. Jade turned over the cup and lifted off the paper.

"Oh no," she gasped.

"Did it get out?" Tori yelped.

"I'm sorry. I thought I got it."

Tori squealed and started hopping around, freaked out that it could be anywhere at this point. Jade watched her a moment before laughing.

"I'm just kidding. It's right here," she said, letting the small menace crawl onto her hand. It was no bigger than a dime. Tori visibly shuddered, her face going white. Jade laughed and placed the spider in the bushes before returning to Tori, ready to comfort her, but she cringed away from her touch.

"Ew, Jade, wash your hands first."

Jade raised a brow but eventually shrugged and headed inside. She washed her hands as she was told then took Tori back to the couch. She wrapped her in a hug and held her close, settling her nerves. It was a ridiculous fear in Jade's opinion, but she liked being the one to save Tori so she couldn't really complain.

"Thank you," Tori murmured, pressing a kiss to Jade's cheek.

"Any time."


	17. Winner

"For the last time, no. I don't need your help," Jade stated, firm.

"Yeah, but this is my business too!" Tori argued.

"No," Jade repeated. Tori frowned and crossed her arms. Jade was yet again planning revenge on an unfortunate victim. This time, her target was a guy that dared to make fun of Tori in the middle of the halls. Jade would not stand for it.

"Jade, I'm not going to stand by and let you 'protect my honor', or something dumb like that, without being involved. Besides, I'm curious," Tori admitted with a shrug. That got Jade's attention. She raised a brow and finally looked up from her phone, where she was taking notes on the supplies she would need. Jade eyed her a moment, just long enough for Tori to fidget under her scrutinizing stare. Before Tori could break Jade allowed a small smile and chuckled, shaking her head.

"With Christmas just around the corner I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to risk ending up on the naughty list by helping me."

Tori scoffed at the notion. She wasn't a goody two-shoes. She could be mischievous. She could be mean. She could even break a few rules. Maybe not laws though.

"Maybe I do," Tori mumbled, brows still furrowed but unable to meet Jade's eyes. Now Jade was interested and a bit amused. She couldn't resist teasing her for it.

"Oh really?" she responded, her tone suggestive. Tori quickly looked up to take in the roguish smirk adorning Jade's lips. Tori immediately went red.

"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!"

"I don't know anything you mean. Only you know what you me-" Jade began to deny, continuing to tease, but Tori surprisingly took action to silence her. Her hands grabbed at Jade's jacket and yanked her flush against Tori's front. Her lips captured Jade's with confidence and a bit of roughness that Jade eagerly responded to. Her hands came up to gently caress Tori's jaw before one rested on her shoulder and the other slid into her hair. Jade couldn't hold back a groan when Tori deepened the kiss, pulling back a moment later with a small nip to her bottom lip. Tori was quite proud when Jade let out a heavy exhale, panting. Her vivid gaze was bright and never left her face. Jade stared at her with some confusion and a lot of awe, a hand coming up to stroke her thumb along Tori's jaw.

"Maybe you do," she whispered in approval. Tori only laughed, her embarrassed blush returning. She moved to step away from Jade but the dark-haired girl stopped her with a hand on her waist. Tori froze, their eyes meeting again. Jade simply pulled her back in, her arms wrapping around her.

"I'm not sure that alone would get you on the naughty list," she husked, already leaning in. It was Tori's turn to smirk.

"I'm sure I can fix that, but it probably wouldn't hurt to let me help you too," she said playfully, running her hand through Jade's hair. Jade's eyes fluttered, completely swayed by her touch and desire to continue where they left off. She couldn't even care about their previous disagreement.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Jade rushed out with a nod, just before she pulled Tori back in. To Tori, this kiss felt like a celebration of her triumph.


	18. Appreciation

Jade sat on the floor in their bedroom, leaning back on the bed. She refused to join Tori on the bed because the girl was oddly hyper all day and she had yet to wind down. Jade had a lot of work to get done, scripts to revise, but Tori wouldn't let her work in a different room. If she wouldn't allow Tori to lean on her then she had to at least remain in the same room. Jade conceded only to appease Tori so that she could get back to work. The bed jostled behind her and Jade's concentrated frown grew to be one of annoyance.

"Hey Jade, guess what?" Tori's voice chimed playfully. Jade rolled her eyes but replied.

"What?" she responded gruffly, eyes never leaving the screen while her fingers flew over the keyboard in order to make a correction. The sound of Tori sliding off the bed to land in a crouch next to Jade was just enough to make her glance over.

"The floor is lava."

The simple statement caused Jade to pause in the middle of what she was doing. She tried to ignore the impulse to get up, but with a frown, she sighed and snapped her laptop shut. As she stood, Tori grinned, hopping up as well. Silently, Jade turned around and climbed on the bed. Tori jumped on next to her.

"I hate you," Jade grumbled, opening up her laptop to get back to work.

"Aww, love you too!" Tori answered, draping herself on Jade's back. She nuzzled into Jade's neck and the older girl could feel her smile against her skin. She kept working, but a small smile started to pull at her lips.

"You're ridiculous. I swear, if Cat gave you something you have to quit that crap."

"Cat didn't give me anything. I'm just in a good mood."

Jade shook her head but turned and pressed a kiss to Tori's cheek. Tori hummed, content, and tightened her hold on Jade.

"Behave, and maybe I won't take as long on this. We could go out later," Jade told her. Tori placed a hand on Jade's cheek to pull her in for a brief kiss, then she clumsily jumped off the bed to leave the room. The good thing about Tori was that she was nothing like Cat. She could be a hyper handful when she wanted to, but she wisely left Jade alone. She knew that if Jade got her way then she would get hers. And she was very patient. It made Jade want to thank her and give back for being so understanding. And so, as soon as she was done working, she went to let Tori know. She was calmly waiting in the living room, already dressed and ready to go. Jade put away her laptop and got ready to go. Tori practically dragged her out the door, just as excited as a puppy going for a walk. And Jade couldn't love her any more for it than she already did.


	19. Notes

Tori walked into the living room to see Jade sitting on the couch watching some medical drama, a notebook on her lap and pen in hand. She stared with rapt attention at the surgery happening on screen. The doctors were panicking, the patient was declining, and Jade was smiling. She looked away only to add to the notes she was no doubt jotting down in her untidy but legible scrawl. Tori walked over and plopped down next to her, making it obvious that she was leaning into Jade's space to see what she was writing.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked, truly curious. Jade paused for a second to glance at her before continuing. She looked back up at the screen to see that the patient had been saved and the crisis was averted. Her brows furrowed. With the boring conversation happening on screen she took the time to answer.

"I'm watching this show and taking notes, obviously."

Tori exhaled loudly and gave Jade an exasperated look.

"I can see that," she said.

"Then why did you ask?" Jade responded, smirking when she saw a tinge of annoyance.

"You're doing this on purpose," Tori accused.

"I am," Jade admitted.

"So then, really. What are you doing?" Tori tried again. Jade checked on the show, took note of the drama unfolding and returned her attention to Tori.

"I hope to be that clinical someday, so I'm taking notes."

The answer utterly confused Tori and it showed.

"You're not studying to be a doctor," she pointed out.

"Of course not."

"And you hate the drama on these shows."

"I do. But I just skip those parts or ignore it until a good surgery scene comes on."

"Then why are you taking notes about medical practices?"

"To get a visual for my new script I've been writing. It's about a young medical assistant who thought she wanted to become a doctor but realized that she didn't enjoy cutting into people because she wanted to save them, but because she just liked doing it. So instead she gets hired to be an assistant in the morgue. But when cutting into dead bodies isn't as fun, she decides to kidnap people so she could cut 'em up however she wants," Jade explained with gusto. Tori's face progressively became more and more disgusted. But then a thought occurred to her and she voiced it.

"Wouldn't it be easier if she started an under the table medical practice that's obviously shady but targets people who no one will miss and are also stupid enough to agree?" she inquired. Jade thought about that and then a grin pulled at her lips.

"You're right. That'll be much better. Thanks, babe," she praised, scribbling something out and adding more.

"You're welcome, psycho," she replied, feeling bothered about the idea but happy to get Jade's praise for it.

"You're a psycho too for loving me," Jade responded, not missing a beat. Tori frowned.

"Which is how I thought that up," Tori whispered to herself.

"Yep," Jade agreed happily, having heard her. Tori rolled her eyes and frowned at Jade who only chuckled at the cute expression and kissed her nose.


	20. Night

Jade let out a long sigh when she stood up to stretch. She pulled out her spine until it popped and raised her hands over her head. With a groan of satisfaction, she relaxed. Tori watched from her place on her bed, trying hard not to stare at the way Jade's shirt rode up, exposing her torso. She busied herself with turning off the TV.

"All right, time to get going," Jade said, looking around for her shoes.

"Wait, don't go yet!" Tori pleaded, not ready for her to leave. They had been watching movies together for most of the day. It was comfortable having Jade pressed up next to her, an arm draped over her, slender fingers either toying with the end of her hair or running through it. She couldn't go. Not now.

"Sorry, but even I have to sleep at some point," Jade replied with a shrug, referring to the fact that she loved being awake at night. She even slept late into the day. Luckily her band mostly did gigs at night.

"Well…you could sleep here," Tori offered hesitantly. Jade's eyes widened for only a second before she quirked a brow.

"You want me to sleep with you?" she inquired suggestively. Tori blushed and was only embarrassed for less than a second before blurting out her reply.

"Yes."

Jade laughed at Tori's reaction but gave her props for even managing to answer.

"Okay."

She returned to the bed and climbed in, slowly while studying Tori who sat stiffly.

"I didn't feel like going home so early anyway. The sun hasn't really set yet," Jade remarked, getting comfortable.

"I mean, I've got to practice but I can put it off a little longer," she continued, looking to Tori once she was reclined on a pillow with her hands behind her head. Tori slowly laid back down, still stiff and unable to say anything.

"Don't get used to it though," Jade mumbled, closing her eyes. She rolled over on her side and cuddled deeper into the comforter. Silence fell before Tori finally decided to speak.

"Wait, it's Saturday. You guys don't practice on Saturday nights. Plus, you take those days to do nothing anyway," she realized. She looked to Jade for an answer, but she remained silent, turned away from her.

"Admit it, you just want to spend the night with me," she teased. But Jade still didn't respond. Tori frowned.

"Come on. I know you aren't really asleep. No one falls asleep that fast. Not even me," she pressed. But she still received silence for all her trouble. She let out a sigh.

"Shoot," she muttered, rolling over to face away from Jade. She might as well get to sleep then. Minutes passed by and then Tori was lightly snoring, signaling that she was deep in sleep. Only then did Jade allow a smirk of victory, shuffling closer to Tori so that their backs were pressed together. She sighed at the warmth and followed Tori to sleep.


	21. Noise

Jade was having a damn good dream that was unfairly obliterated when the rhythmic sound chased it away. Her eyes shot open and she tensed, anger quickly clearing away sleep. Not even the comfy warmth Tori gave off next to her calmed her down. She was tired of losing sleep, of the inability to focus on work when her neighbor's creaking bed pierced her peace. She could not fathom why they didn't at least get a new bed if their activities were going to persist at all times of the day. She couldn't count how many times she had to wear earbuds to bed in an effort to drown them out. Or how many times she banged on the wall in a wasted effort to silence them when she couldn't concentrate on her writing. Her creativity greatly suffered, and she lost sleep when it started early in the morning, waking her up hours before her alarm was set to go off. And to make matters worse, Tori was such a heavy sleeper she heard nothing. She was a master at tuning out bothersome sounds, having lived with Trina for so long.

But not Jade. Jade had no tolerance for annoyances. She even 'accidentally' let her stepmother's dog out when it wouldn't stop yapping. The poor animal was found days later down the street by a concerned neighbor who just brought the little beast right back to continue to annoy her. She let out a loud sigh that became a growl, rubbing her eyes. It seemed like she would forever be irritated no matter where she went. She rolled over and slipped her arm around Tori's middle, hugging her close and burying her face in her back. Tori grumbled something in her sleep but continued to snore on, unbothered and leaving Jade to attempt to regain sleep. But she didn't. She stayed awake until her alarm went off, finally waking up Tori. She stretched out, a sleepy smile on her face when she noticed how close Jade held her.

"Well good morning," she mumbled, turning her bright smile on Jade. It slowly fell when she was met with Jade's grumpy scowl, lack of sleep easily recognizable in her eyes.

"Did they bother you again?" Tori asked, resting a hand on Jade's face gently, concern in her frown. Jade only blinked, a brow jumping up incredulously.

"I really don't know how you can sleep through it. Or ignore the chick's obviously fake moaning. I swear, it's like a bad porno is playing on full blast over there. Don't get me started on the headboard shaking the wall because the squeaking bed is enough to drive me nuts as it is. I think I might actually leave a note on their door highlighting just how pissed off I am and demand that they at the least buy a new damn bed," Jade ranted, voice strained with simmering anger. Tori could see it building in the way Jade's jaw muscles flexed, the way her eyes glinted with malicious intent, the way her nostrils flared like a raging bull. She was no stranger to angry Jade. It was turned on her one too many times in high school to not recognize the signs that something bad was about to befall some poor soul. And just as it always has been, it fell to her to try and calm her down.

"Well, you did already key their car and pop their tires. You even scared the crap out of them when you pretended to be attacked and they almost called the police. You're lucky they came over to check on you instead of calling them or you would have been in big trouble," Tori replied, recounting Jade's endeavors to drive away their annoying neighbors.

"And yet, they're still here and still giving me a headache. I mean, I understand. Young couples, newly living together, they can't keep their hands off each other. I've been there. But seriously, if you're going to go at it all day be considerate to other people. These apartment walls aren't soundproof. Seriously, all I ask is a quiet bed and maybe less fake orgasms," Jade continued.

"Jade!" Tori exclaimed, scandalized.

"Tori, you can't disagree, even if you've rarely heard them. We don't even get that obnoxious and you're a freaking tiger in bed," Jade pointed out, causing Tori's blush to get worse. She was currently sitting up against the headboard, gripping the blankets to her chest, eyes wide and face red. She never could get used to the explicit way Jade spoke about things. She was far more conservative concerning private matters.

"Maybe you should say something then?" she suggested, turning to look at Jade. The dark-haired woman turned on her back and glared up at the ceiling.

"If I confront them about it I can't guarantee that I won't hurt them if they refuse to listen," she responded honestly. Tori rolled her eyes. Jade saw it and threw up her hands to let them fall back on either side of her.

"I can't help it. People have this rude habit of annoying me," she said.

"How many times do I have to tell you to be nice? If you just nicely explained the situation, I think they'll be more willing to comply. Threatening them with scissors won't work forever," Tori remarked sagely.

"It's worked so far," Jade responded pointedly. Tori pinched at the bridge of her nose, eyes closed.

"You know being nice is hard for me when people are so stupid or annoying," Jade pressed, propping herself up on an elbow to face Tori who was still frowning.

"Besides, you remember that day I tried to play nice with Moaning Myrtle when we were coming back from our date and she cut us off coming into the gate. I was mad, but I didn't even cuss at her. She apologized and I accepted. Even though I hate pretending to be nice to someone I really just want to throw a brick at," Jade recounted. Tori nodded and shrugged one shoulder, giving her that. It was a better response than allowing a laugh at the nickname she gave the neighbor. That would only encourage her.

"The guy is a total dick though. Have you heard his conversations when the bros are invited over and she's gone? I wouldn't mind throwing a brick at him too," Jade added. This time Tori did chuckle. Jade's pout was adorable and her petulant tone added to the affect. Not that she approved of Jade's tantrum. She opened her mouth to offer condolences that would put Jade at ease when the very thing that upset her in the first place started up again. In an instant Jade was up and throwing the blankets off.

"That's it!" she snarled, stomping toward the door. Tori scrambled out of bed to cut her off.

"How about some coffee first? You always say it's a warm and delicious alternative to hating everybody, every morning, forever," Tori hastily reminded her, hands out to stop Jade from advancing. Jade stopped right before she reached the door, staring Tori down. Her expression went from angry to calm and then calculative. Tori didn't like the mischievous smirk that graced her lips seconds later. Like a flip of a switch Jade was eyeing Tori like a panther on the hunt. She fidgeted, her mind racing, trying to come up with a reason for the sudden change.

"I've just thought of a great idea," Jade revealed, stalking closer to reach past Tori to shut the door behind her, while at the same time backing her up until she was then pressed to the closed door.

"Uh, mind letting me in on it?" Tori stammered.

"Gladly, since you're going to help me," Jade answered, resting a warm hand on Tori's waist.

"With what?" Tori asked.

"Revenge," Jade whispered in her ear, body pressed against hers. She shivered.

"That won't solve anything," Tori tried to tell her, biting her lip when Jade's lips pressed to the sensitive spot just under the corner of her jaw.

"You sure about that? It's worth a try," Jade disagreed, moving to bite playfully at Tori's ear. Tori hummed, trying to focus her thoughts, but it devolved into a groan instead. Her thought process struggled. Jade's hands ran up her sides under her shirt then traced back down, making her skin tingle.

"Well, I don't like to call it revenge. Returning the favor sounds nicer," Tori allowed, causing Jade to laugh.

"Whatever you want to call it, Tor," she muttered, pulling her away from the door to relocate against the wall by their bed. The same wall they shared with their annoying neighbors. The squeaking still persisted but Jade planned to make them regret it. She reached up to knock hard on the wall, earning a short pause in the squeaking. As soon as it stopped she turned her attention to Tori.

"I'm sure you know what to do," she murmured, dragging a finger down her front to tug suggestively at her pajama shorts. Tori couldn't help reacting.

"Jade," she gasped. Jade grinned.

"I've never heard a better sound than when you're whimpering my name," Jade purred in her ear, knowing her words would help stoke the fire. Tori groaned and closed her eyes, head falling back and hips pressing into Jade's hands.

"Let's see if we can beat them at their own game," Jade challenged, sealing it with a kiss that quickly escalated into more.

The next morning Jade woke up to peaceful silence. Vaguely she remembered falling asleep to the same silence, Tori wrapped in her arms after another round of blissful revenge. She made sure Tori made her pleasure known and didn't hold back when Tori reciprocated. She wasn't normally rough with Tori, preferring tender passion, but she made sure their own bed complimented their activities. A large, pleased, smile spread across her face. It was the first thing Tori saw when she woke up several minutes later. It remained all through breakfast and grew impossibly bigger when they left their apartment and happened across their annoying neighbors in the parking lot. The couple awkwardly glanced at them and then hastily got in their car. Jade innocently waved at them when they drove by.

She was confident her point was made, but she would gladly improve upon it should they bother her again. Which they did when they got over the first incident. They went right back to it and Jade responded in kind. Until a week later she spotted a delivery man dropping off a rather large box. It looked like the neighbors finally got that new bed. For the first time in over a year Jade could work with focus, get to sleep on time, wake up on time, and enjoy the silence at her leisure. Whether the couple next door picked up on their activities or not remained unknown to Jade. Just as it should be.

"You're ridiculous," Tori told her one night while cuddled into her side, skin pressed against skin. Their own time together had gone back to slow and sweet. Jade chuckled, turning her head to kiss Tori's temple.

"I know," she agreed, proud and unashamed. Tori was just relieved the situation had been resolved without violence this time. To her, that was progress she would be all too happy to encourage.


	22. Misunderstanding

Tori smiled happily to herself as she worked in the kitchen. She hadn't seen Jade in so long, work keeping them apart longer than she anticipated. But now she was home a whole day and Tori didn't want it to go to waste. She planned to try out a new dish she learned and had been working on for some time. Jade seemed complicated, but she was actually pretty simple and straightforward when it came to most things. She liked quick and easy meals just as much as Tori. And this one was pretty easy once she got the seasonings right. It took a little longer to cook but was definitely easier than other things she tried and utterly failed at. Jade was strangely quiet despite Tori hearing her find what to watch. Usually she was talking to herself or complaining about the shows she passed by. She shrugged and prepared two bowls, setting them on a bigger plate loaded with crackers. Tori sprinkled on the cheesy finishing touch to the bowls then took them and headed out to the living room.

"All right, Jade. I hope you like how it came out. I'm really excited for you to try it," she announced, rounding the couch and stopping dead at the sight before her. Jade was reclined comfortably on the couch, legs gracefully crossed and arms placed just so. She wore a devilish smile, but that wasn't what Tori's eyes lingered on. Jade was completely naked and Tori was having a hard time pulling her gaze back up to her face. But she did. And she even managed to stick a disapproving frown on her face.

"Jade, what are you doing?"

"You sent me that text saying you wanted to Netflix and Chill. I had no idea what it meant until the guys had to explain it to me. Well, Andre mostly. So here I am," she answered casually.

"No, I said Netflix and _chili_! It was supposed to be a cute pun. You know, like I'm always prone to do," Tori clarified. Jade scowled, thinking back to the text.

"It clearly said chill. I remember," she rebutted.

"And I'm not saying you're wrong. My phone must have corrected me. But I meant chili," Tori said, holding out the bowls. Jade only stared at her, scowl still in place.

"Come on, put your clothes on. Please? I worked really hard on this!" Tori asserted. Jade remained where she was a moment longer before getting up with an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, but you owe me," she vowed with a point of her finger. She strode past Tori who let out a sigh of her own, relieved that Jade hadn't tried harder to resist. Because she almost ditched her own chili night. It was a great feat of resilience to look Jade in the eyes and not let them wander. Or let her mind fall in the gutter. She pushed her legs to carry her forward so that she could set the plates down on the coffee table. Jade returned fully dressed and sat back down in her previous spot, saying nothing but shooting a glare at the food as if it had walked in and interrupted them. Well, it kind of did in a way. Tori sat next to her and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you. Now eat the chili without complaint and we can watch whatever you want. Later we can revisit your idea," Tori told her, gaining a reluctant smile from Jade. She couldn't stay mad at Tori for long, even if she wanted to. She picked up her plate and tried the chili, mildly surprised that it tasted good.

"Not bad. It looks like I'll be living another day," she playfully remarked, laughing when Tori glared and smacked her arm.

"Hey, you're going to make me spill all your hard work!" Jade exclaimed, though she didn't really sound worried. Tori rolled her eyes and took a bite of her own, smiling at the result.

"So, do you know what you want to watch?" she asked. Jade smiled softly at her.

"Baby, _you_ know what I want to watch," she replied, as if it was obvious. And it was. Tori wordlessly scooped up the controller and found Jade's current favorite horror film. After years of watching horror with her, Tori realized that she had surprisingly become desensitized to them. Something she never thought would happen. Only rarely did she get scared now. Though she didn't enjoy the gore like Jade did. She paid more attention to the storyline.

"You better remember our compromise later. I expect payment in full," Jade reminded her.

"Don't worry, I will," Tori promised with a smile.

"Good, because I won't forget," Jade assured, a hand falling to caress Tori's thigh.

"Jade, eat the chili and watch the movie," Tori ordered, visibly struggling to react and refusing to meet Jade's gaze. Jade chuckled but had to give Tori credit. Refusing her was a difficult thing to do. She would make sure Tori had no chance to do so later.


	23. Pranks

Tori came home from school tired and not looking forward to all the end of school exams plus the final projects. She dragged herself into the house, Trina darting in ahead of her and racing up the stairs. She was on her phone, yelling at someone. That wasn't knew. She rolled her eyes and set her bag down, plopping on the couch. She slumped into the couch until she was almost falling off the bottom. She closed her eyes and took a breath then opened them tiredly.

Instantly, she zeroed in on an overturned cup sitting in the middle of the coffee table. She recognized it as one of the paper cups from the new water cooler they had gotten. When the gang came over, they each had one, eager to try out the new appliance. Tori slowly sat back up and stood to retrieve it, planning to take it to the trash. She halted in her tracks when she got closer and saw something scribbled on it in sharpie.

**Do not open unless you plan to kill it**

Tori stared at the unique scrawl, knowing who had written it. She crossed her arms, frowning. Either Jade did something nice and caught some kind of bug but left it for Tori to deal with, or she was just pranking her and nothing was there. Tori leaned heavily toward the latter. She reached out to pick it up, but right as her fingers hovered over it, she stopped. Or, what if there really was something under there.

After all, this was Jade. She would probably catch something gruesome that was guaranteed to freak Tori out. That would definitely win out over a simple prank. Tori quickly pulled off her shoe and held it at the ready before reaching out for the cup again. She was just about to touch it when her phone went off, vibrating in her pocket. She jumped, letting out a yelp. She glared as she fished the device out of her pocket. She grumbled under her breath when she saw who had texted her.

_Out of curiosity, have you seen what I left you?_

_I'm looking at it now._

_Really? What a coincidence._

_Is it really?_

A smirking emoji with devil horns was the only reply. Tori fumed.

_What the chiz, Jade?!_

_What?_

_Is there something in there or not?_

_I'll answer that when you lift the cup._

Tori stared at her phone then looked at the cup. She shook her head.

_No. You're going to tell me before I lift that cup and die from a heart attack._

_Fine, I'll tell you._

Tori let out a relieved sigh.

_Although, I could be lying._

_Jade!_

_Don't be a wuss, Vega. I promise that it won't be anything ugly, gross, or dangerous._

_Any kind of bug is gross._

_But not ugly?_

_Well, butterflies are pretty but they're a bug, so they still gross me out._

_Then I promise it isn't dangerous._

Tori huffed in frustration, thumbs tapping a bit harder as she responded.

_So there is something in there._

_Sure, let's go with that._

_Why the heck did you even do this?_

_To test you._

_For what?_

_To see if you could make this entertaining. I'm happy to report that you succeeded._

Tori refrained from texting some choice words but merely squeezed her phone until her agitation abated. For now.

_Did you open it yet?_

_No._

_Well?_

Tori dropped her phone on the couch and turned to face the ominous cup again. She readied her shoe, stepped forward, and snatched the cup. It took her a whole second to realize that there was nothing there. But Jade had said there was. Which meant it must have gotten out! With a squeal, Tori dropped the cup and jumped on the couch. She grabbed her phone before it could slide off on the floor.

_Jade, I think it got out! There was nothing there when I lifted the cup! What do I do?!_

…

Tori stared desperately at the bouncing dots, shaking her phone as if it would speed up Jade's response.

_I couldn't answer right away. I laughed so hard I almost wazzed myself._

An emoji that was laughing so hard it was crying accompanied the text, confusing Tori. At first, she thought Jade was just being plain mean for laughing at her distress, but then it hit her.

_There wasn't anything under it in the first place, was there?!_

_Nope._

Tori let out a loud cry of exasperation, phone clenched tightly in her hand.

_I'm so gonna get you, Jade West._

_Ooh, so scary._

_I will!_

_I'd like to see you try._

Oh, Tori was going to try all right. She started typing quickly, rescinding cuddles, hugs, running her hands through Jade's hair, singing to her, nose brushes, and forehead kisses until she apologized for scaring the fudge out of her. She hit send and waited, a hand on her hip.

"Tori, why are you standing on the couch?" Trina asked, stopping at the foot of the stairs when she saw her sister.

"Jade let a gross bug loose in the house," she answered evenly. Trina visibly shuddered, eyes darting around, before running back up the stairs. As mad as she was at Jade's latest prank, it seemed she had learned a bit from her too. Her phone brought her attention back to the situation at hand. She smirked at the reply.

_How about I admit that you were right, and I was less right, and call it done?_

_No, you need to apologize._

_Tori!_

_Jade!_

_Fine! I'm sorry._

Tori could practically hear her grumbling and smiled.

_Next time I'll be sure to actually have something in there, though. Fair warning._

Tori wasn't impressed with the threat. She knew Jade was only saying that because she had to apologize.

_Sure you will._

_I will._

_Okay, going to do homework now. Love you, bye._

Tori pocketed her phone and gathered her things to go up to her room. She dropped her shoes by her bed and set her bag by her desk. She changed into something more comfortable then sat down at her desk to get out her homework. Roughly twenty minutes in she heard the door open and close downstairs. She didn't bother moving, recognizing the familiar heavy slam and stomping steps. Jade appeared at her door seconds later.

"I don't have time-" Tori began to say, but stopped when she glanced at Jade. She held her hands in front of her, cupped in a dome as if holding something.

"Guess what I have?" Jade taunted, smiling innocently. Tori jumped from her seat and stepped back.

"You better not," Tori warned, fighting at keeping her voice stern.

"What? I might not have anything, right?"

"Jade…"

"Or, maybe I do," Jade continued, advancing. Tori screamed and scrambled over her bed to the other side when Jade opened her hands to reveal something big and hairy.

"It's just Henry. I wanted a dorky name because he reminds me of you. He's a messy eater and is pretty clumsy for a spider. I would have named him Harry but it was a little on the nose," Jade explained fondly, letting the terrifying creature scuttle over her hands. Tori had heard of Jade's new pet, Henry. The way Jade spoke of him she never would have guessed that he was a tarantula.

"Ew, Jade, don't even think about coming near me! Get that out of here! And wash your hands! You can't touch me until you wash your hands!" Tori demanded, careful to keep the bed between them. Jade chuckled.

"He won't bite," she said, as if that was enough to change Tori's mind.

"That's not why I don't like him," Tori said with a shake of her head. She was looking rather pale. Jade stroked the creature and it shot forward so suddenly Tori jumped, startled. Jade caught him before he could escape. The thought alone caused Tori to tremble in fear of it getting loose in her room.

"Come on, Vega. Hold him and I won't involve another bug, imaginary or otherwise, in a prank again," Jade compromised. Tori stared at her like she was crazy, finally taking her eyes off the eight-legged menace in her hands since it showed up.

"You promise?" Tori muttered after a long silence full of contemplation. She was weighing the pros and cons, deciding that brief torture now meant no more bugs forever in the future.

"Promise."

Tori took a moment to steady herself then slowly moved around the bed. She was halfway there when Henry moved. She froze in place.

"Can you cover him until I get over there?"

"Sure," Jade agreed, tucking him away between her hands. Tori started moving forward again and stopped in front of Jade a safe distance away.

"Okay, I'll hold your gross insect and then I never want to again."

"Arachnid," Jade corrected.

"What?"

"He's classified as an arachnid. You know, two body segments, eight legs, and no wings or antennae," Jade explained.

"I don't care what he is! He's a creepy crawly bug and I just want to get this over with!" Tori exclaimed, throwing up her hands then bringing them down to mimic the way Jade had held hers.

"Just, don't drop him," Jade told her, removing her top hand. Tori shuddered at the sight of eight legs spreading out now that they had room again. Jade stepped closer and bridged the gap between their hands. She then gently tipped up. Henry skittered forward onto Tori's hands. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as if she would scream. Instead, she went rigid and stared at the hairy monstrosity idly resting in her hands. As long as he didn't move, she would be okay. She could do this.

"Can you believe he's one of the smaller species? Some can get as big as dinner plates," Jade commented, fascinated as ever. Tori grimaced.

"Please don't say those things right now. I don't think any bug should be this big. Especially spiders," she said, still as a statue. Even her voice was forced.

"He's harmless."

"Those fangs say otherwise."

Jade rolled her eyes and reached to take him back. Her sudden movement caused him to bolt, right up Tori's arm. She squealed but fought the urge to throw him off. She didn't have to though, because he charged right off the side of her arm. Reflexively, she caught him, caging him in her hands the way Jade had. Everything happened so quick. Jade had been in mid panic as soon as she saw that he had fallen, but relief flooded her when Tori caught him. Even Tori looked relieved, despite gritting her teeth against the movement of legs against her skin. A grateful smile pulled at Jade's lips, admiration in her eyes. She stepped close and leaned in to press a kiss to Tori's cheek.

"Thanks, Tori. I'll take him back now."

Tori nodded and opened her hand. Once again, she copied Jade. Henry moved over to his owner and settled in her palm as if he knew he was in familiar territory. Jade held him close.

"Gee, for hating him so much you didn't hesitate to save him," Jade lightly teased.

"Well, he may be gross, but you like him and he's a living creature. I couldn't let him fall to his death," Tori reasoned with a shrug. This time when Jade leaned in, she gave her a proper kiss. They pulled away with mirrored smiles.

"Walk me out to my car so I can put him away."

Tori nodded and together they headed downstairs. Luckily, they didn't encounter Trina. Even though Jade would have found it hilarious to scare her. She hated bugs more than Tori, but the youngest Vega's kind heart wouldn't allow them to be killed despite her fear of them. Trina held no such care. Which was why it was best to give Henry a break. Tori opened the car door and Jade set the large arachnid in his travel cage. He immediately ran under the piece of wood for shelter. Tori watched him, strangely not as bothered as before. Jade watched her watch him and smiled knowingly.

"Not so bad, right?"

Tori pulled her eyes away from Henry to look at Jade.

"I guess not," she admitted grudgingly. Jade's smile grew as she shut the door.

"Yeah, yeah," Tori dismissed, waving her away before she could rub it in her face. Jade laughed and caught her in an embrace, holding her close.

"I told you that you had to wash your hands first," Tori reminded her.

"You held him, too," Jade pointed out. Tori realized this and groaned.

"You win this round," she conceded, grumpy.

"I usually do," Jade remarked, breaking into another round of laughter at the look on Tori's face. She wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her until she relaxed. She pulled back to see Tori smiling again, a light blush on her cheeks.

"I came here to prove a point but ended up making it harder for me to scare you," Jade said with an exaggerated sigh and a roll of her eyes. It was Tori's turn to laugh.

"I am not friends with bugs, but it will probably take more than seeing them to freak me out now," Tori agreed.

"Then I'll just have to come up with something else," Jade said with a sly smirk.

"I'd like to see you try," Tori challenged. No matter what Jade hid up her sleeve, competing with her never got old.


	24. Nonsense

What in the world was she thinking, letting Cat try out her newly learned skill on her? Granted, it wasn't for the first time. There were others. Unfortunate others. Cat was better at hair now. She had nothing to worry about. Except the fact that she let Tori talk her into lightening her hair instead of darkening it like she preferred. She sat as patiently as she could while Cat worked, humming to herself. Tori sat nearby, gabbing away with Cat sometimes or scrolling through social media on her phone. Jade already warned her not to take any pictures until she was ready. The girl had a compulsion to post most of the pictures she took.

"Cat, are you done with the dye yet? It feels like you've been on that step forever," Jade complained.

"Just twenty more bottles of soda to go," Cat replied, to Jade's confusion and Tori's amusement. Her grin was huge. Jade's eyes flicked to her, suspicious.

"Bottles of soda?" she questioned the redhead.

"I don't like beer," Cat replied casually.

"What does that have to do with anything? Okay, I'm used to hearing Cat say weird stuff, but why is that making _you_ smile? Am I missing something?" Jade inquired, eyes staring at Tori accusingly.

"Oh, nothing. Just something I came up with. I'm hoping it becomes a trend," Tori replied, proud of herself. Jade thought back to what Cat said and tried to work out what that meant.

"You intend to make that song a unit of time? And I thought Cat was crazy," Jade scoffed.

"Hey!" Tori exclaimed. Cat giggled.

"No one in their right mind will pick up on that, Vega. It's dumb," Jade told her.

"Yes, they will! If I just spread it a bit online people will catch on," Tori defended, waving her phone. Jade's eyes went steely.

"You are not posting that stupid chiz online. No one will use it," she growled.

"Five more bottles to go, Jade," Cat chirped.

"Cat does all the time," Tori argued, gesturing to her.

"Yeah, because that's Cat," Jade retorted.

"I'm Cat!" the redhead exclaimed happily, giggling. Jade rolled her eyes.

"I rest my case," she said. Tori let out a loud exhale.

"Well, maybe there are other people out there who appreciate my witty humor," she pointed out, going back to her phone.

"Vega, don't post that! You're going to make yourself look stupid," Jade told her, exasperation clear in her tone.

"Why not? What do you care if I make myself look stupid? I bet you'd love that," Tori countered, still tapping away at her phone. She was determined to disobey at that point.

"All done!" Cat announced. As soon as the last word left her mouth, Jade was up and snatching Tori's phone out of her hand before she could finish.

"You can't. If you look stupid, then I look stupid for dating you. At least wait until I land a role before you ruin my career," Jade said, standing over Tori with a glare and her arms crossed. Tori looked up at her, and instead of being intimidated, as she should have been, she took one look at Jade and burst into laughter. Jade was furious.

"What now?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry. I can't take you seriously like that," Tori laughed.

"Well, you better. Whether my hair is a mess or not, I'll still get you, Vega," Jade threatened.

"Yeah, and what are you gonna do?" Tori sassed. Cat started laughing along with her.

"Jade's hair _is_ kind of funny looking," she commented. Jade grit her teeth.

"If you don't start running in one bottle of beer, I'll tickle you for thirty bottles of beer without stopping. And begging will only make me keep going," Jade warned. Cat and Tori exchanged scared looks before making a run for it. Cat chose to take refuge under the kitchen table while Tori bolted for their room, locking the door. Jade smiled, satisfied. Crazy hair or not, she still had it. Now she just had to convince Cat to style it once it came time to wash the dye out.


	25. Obvious

Sikowitz strode into his classroom and slowed to a halt when he saw his two most competitive students facing off once again. He smiled and made his way over.

"If Sikowitz is putting on another play, then I deserve the lead."

"We were both the lead last time, so we have an equal chance of getting it this time."

"Hmm, maybe a sixty-forty chance in my favor."

"You're good, but I can be better."

"I doubt that. I have a whole year more than you of experience."

"So? I have natural talent."

A scoff from Jade had him looking to Tori for her response.

"I do! I mean, you do too, but I'm still going to get that role."

"As if."

Sikowitz felt that now was the best time to interrupt and get class started.

"All right, you two. Break it up or take it somewhere else. I have a class to teach," he told them.

"We aren't fighting," Tori replied. He smiled and took a sip of his coconut.

"Oh, I know. As I was saying, break it up or take it somewhere else," he repeated, slowly as if they couldn't understand. Jade seemed to catch on first, and it was a bit of a surprise when a light blush colored her fair skin. Tori looked clueless until she saw Jade's reaction. Then her eyes widened. Their friends and even the other classmates snickered at his implication.

"T-that's not it either!" she hastily denied.

"Stop talking, Vega," Jade warned. Sikowitz rolled his eyes and walked up on stage.

"Begone or sit down," he announced with a dramatic point of his finger at the door. Jade huffed out a frustrated grunt and grabbed Tori by the wrist to drag her out the door.

"How did he know?" Tori whispered as they passed.

"Because of you," Jade growled.

"Me? What about you?"

Sikowitz shook his head at them, waiting until they were out the door.

"Can you believe those two?" he asked the class.

"They always fight or disagree," Robbie said with a shrug. Beck and Andre nodded.

"They're so obvious," Cat commented with a giggle. The guys exchanged befuddled looks. Sikowitz chuckled.

"Indeed they are," he agreed, taking a sip from his coconut before starting their first drive by acting exercise of the day.


	26. Just In Case

It had been a long day and all Jade wanted to do was crash in bed, snuggle her girlfriend and sleep in late. She managed to reach the bed after brushing her teeth and changing into pajamas but forgot her phone in the living room and had to go back for it so that she could set a late alarm. She knew that if she ended up sleeping too long Tori wouldn't wake her up. Jade told her time and time again that she didn't like sleeping the day away and Tori would reply that Jade must have needed the sleep if she hadn't woken up on her own and Tori wasn't going to deny her body rest. So Jade started making various alarms for different points of the day depending on how long she wanted to sleep or nap. With that failsafe set, she slipped in bed and settled down. Tori came in minutes later, having taken her turn in the bathroom. She walked over to the other side and got in. Jade instantly rolled over and pulled her close. Tori giggled.

"You're never this affectionate at any other time of the day," she commented. Jade hummed an agreement against Tori's neck where she was busy breathing in Tori's comforting scent. She pressed a kiss to her tan skin before pulling away.

"That's because getting ready to go to sleep is the best time of day. All the idiots of the world are out there and I'm in here, sharing a warm bed with you, getting ready to sleep and dream about punching those same idiot's lights out for irritating me," Jade explained with a content sigh. Tori shook her head.

"Well, at least it's only in your dreams. That's all I can hope for," Tori said, shifting a bit to get comfortable.

"Yeah, because they deserve a verbal bashing. That can't be helped," Jade added. Tori nodded, wise in the ways Jade handled things. Jade squeezed Tori to her once, smiled, and then relaxed.

"Good night, Jade," Tori said.

"Night, Tor," Jade responded, voice already muffled by sleep.

"Did you lock the front door?" Tori asked, just making sure. It was the remnants of her anxiety that still clung on since high school that required her to ask almost every night, despite the same response she got from Jade every time. She was just as wise in the ways Tori handled things.

"Yeah, of course. I always do," Jade muttered automatically. Tori smiled, expecting the response. They both closed their eyes and silence fell over them for all of two seconds before Jade's brows furrowed and she let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Now I have to make sure," she complained, grudgingly getting out of bed. Tori's smile grew, touched by Jade's devotion. It didn't happen often, but the ritual of locking the door before bed had become so habitual that Jade sometimes didn't remember doing it. And upon inspection, she always did. But she couldn't just leave it to chance. She knew it was most likely locked, but she just had to check. For Tori's sake and her own. So, she trudged through the dark to the front door. As always, it was indeed locked, and so she returned to bed. She situated herself with ease, Tori accommodating her.

"Thank you," she murmured, her grin sleepy. She reached out to pull Jade in so that she could kiss her jaw.

"It's my pleasure," Jade replied, finally able to fully relax and go to sleep.


	27. Bad Music

Jade walked out to the Asphalt Café with her lunch in hand, gaze set on the gang's usual table. On closer inspection, she saw that Tori was the only one there. She kept walking and sat down next to her.

"Where is everyone?" she asked. Tori seemed to be ignoring her. All her attention was on her phone which she kept growling at and poking harder than necessary.

"You are aware that you just need to tap the screen, not put your finger through it," Jade commented, letting go of the fact that she was ignored the first time. Tori groaned and set it down none too gentle on the table.

"It's just, this stupid music app isn't working," she whined. Jade's eyes flicked to the phone.

"May I?" she asked, hand hovering over it. Tori nodded and Jade picked it up. She looked through the app a little bit. Everything was as it should be.

"What's wrong with it? It seems to be working fine," she remarked, playing one of Tori's favorites to prove it.

"It keeps playing songs I don't like. Especially the ones that get on my nerves," she explained. Jade chuckled.

"So mark that you don't like it and the app won't play it," Jade replied, setting down the phone. Tori snatched it back up.

"I know how the app works!" she snapped. Jade raised her hands placatingly.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so frustrated with it. You know, this is the second app to do this to me," Tori commented, staring at her phone forlornly.

"That's unfortunate," Jade said, starting on her lunch.

"Yeah. Maybe I should just uninstall it and go without a music app," Tori decided. Jade raised a brow at her.

"But you love music," Jade pointed out.

"Not when it's music I can't stand," Tori declined. Jade shrugged and nodded.

"True. But I also think that maybe it's just coincidence. Maybe if you keep disliking songs and favoriting the ones you do like it will eventually catch on," she advised, watching Tori carefully. Her glower started to wane, a hopeful smile replacing it.

"Yeah. Maybe it just needs to learn my preferences. Thanks, Jade!" Tori praised, dropping a quick kiss to her cheek. Jade could feel her face warm up. Tori really had to stop doing that.

"No problem," she mumbled, taking a bite of her food and hoping Tori hadn't noticed her shy behavior. Tori finally set down her phone and started eating too. Jade glanced at her, taking in her happy mood. She looked better that way, not sullen and angry. Jade's thoughts turned inward. When she came up with the idea, she meant it as a playful prank. She didn't think it would upset her that much. But it turned out that Tori's music preference was more important than Jade initially thought. Note to self, stop messing with Tori's music app when she wasn't looking.


	28. Just Ask

The busy hallway created a safe barrier between Tori and her target who stood across the hall at her own locker. Tori whined under her breath and gripped the strap of her bag, brown eyes on Jade. She watched her throw a book in her locker, sneer at a guy for staring at her, and then slam the locker shut with such force that his already cowering frame bolted from sight at the sudden noise. Like a frightened rabbit.

No, Jade liked rabbits. A deer! Yeah. Tori nodded to herself and squared her shoulders. She was scared too, but she had to have courage. Nothing would change if she didn't say something. If she didn't at least try. She waited for the flow of students to thin and then marched forward, eyes never leaving Jade. She was busy on her phone, leaning back against the wall of lockers. Now was Tori's chance. She approached her and waved, trying to get her attention.

"Hey, Jade," she greeted shyly.

"What," Jade grumbled, not looking up from her phone to acknowledge Tori's presence besides her irritable response. Tori gulped and began to fiddle with the he of her shirt.

"I just wanted to…" she began, yet her words started to fade. Jade huffed out a sigh and finally looked up, sharp gaze pinning Tori in place. If she had any words left, they were effectively obliterated under Jade's scrutiny.

"What, Vega? Spit it out," she demanded, waiting while Tori stammered. She stopped to take a breath and let it out. Jade's pierced brow hitched, impatient but curious enough to keep waiting to see what Tori wanted. She was fidgety, but never this bad. She tried to figure out why, but nothing gave her a hint.

"Doyowanttogooutwithmeonadate?" Tori finally spat out in a rush. Jade stared at her, brow raised higher, and the suggestion of a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"What was that?" she asked, hearing it what Tori had said but forcing her to repeat it. Tori groaned but gathered her nerve to say it again, a little slower.

"Do you want to go out with me on a date?" she repeated, trying hard not to speed up or ramble. Jade smirked and crossed her arms, eyes studying her.

"Do I?" she wondered, playing at thoughtful. Tori rolled her eyes.

"That's why I asked," Tori said, losing her fear in exchange for frustration. Jade took a moment to drag out the anticipation, thinking with purpose. Tori's foot started tapping.

"I would _like_ to," Jade finally replied.

"Really? You want to go on a date?" Tori said with a grin.

"I said I would like to," Jade corrected.

"So does that mean yes?" Tori questioned, trying to understand what the difference was.

"No, it means I like the idea of going on a date with you, but I don't necessarily want to date-" Jade started to explain with a smirk curling her lips, anticipating Tori's fiery rebuke.

"Dammit, Jade! I'm picking you up at seven! Be ready!" she exclaimed with a point of her finger and blushing cheeks. She turned on her heel and stomped away, leaving Jade to smile at her retreat.

"That's more like it," she muttered, pushing off the lockers and heading for class. She smiled to herself and sighed.

"I love it when she's angry," Jade commented, forcing herself not to look back and keep walking, her smile persisting the whole way to class.


End file.
